Friends

It’s fascinating to see how many technologies from science fiction have become reality. Sure, there are some things like hyperdrives and lightsabers that are still ahem light years away. But there are some that we keep getting closer and closer to, such as holograms. Sure, we’ve got plenty of things that we call holograms, but what we really want is that image of Princess Leia that Luke and Obi-Wan watched in the original Star Wars movie. Well, it looks like we might just be one step closer to that.

HolograFX is a new children’s toy that projects a free-standing hologram onto a flat surface. That’s right, you can pass your hand through it, just as in Star Wars. And yes, you capture your own moving image to be used. So put on your best Princess Leia outfit, and record your message to Obi-Wan. Unfortunately, the projection is 2D, so it’s not quite up to par yet, but it is in full color. This cool effect is actually just one part of a larger set of illusions for kids to perform for their friends and family. There is even a story mode for them to go through, if they want to play by themselves.

So how do they get this technology to work? Well, it actually uses a technique known as Pepper’s Ghost, which has been around for a while. This means that there is likely a clear film of some sort that you’re looking through, that allows the projection to be seen. You’ll need an iPhone or Android device to use it, as there is a companion app that controls everything. This is also what you will use if you want to project yourself as a holographic image. This neat toy will only set you back $35 if you pre-order it on RocketHub.